DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/4/26 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lowe US Patent No. 2019/0286961 cited in previous action in view of Chapet US Patent No. 7, 866, 563.
Re Claim 1, Lowe discloses a fraud prevention device, comprising:
a substrate ( card substrate) comprising a plurality of laminated layers wherein an outermost laminated layer includes one or more perforations or channels (P7, P41, P51 areas 305 and 308 in FIGS. 3A-3D represent holes through the cards; Figs. 5a and 5b )
Lowe fails to disclose wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laminated laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laminated laver; and the overmold configured to encompass the substrate and fill the one or more perforations or channels of the outermost laminated layer.
However Chapet discloses wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laver; and the overmold configured to encompass the substrate and fill the one or more perforations or channels of the outermost layer (Column 2, lines 49-53, Column 3, lines 41-56, Column 5,lines 16-45; Column 7, lines 1-12).
Given the teachings of Chapet it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Lowe with wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laminated laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laminated laver; and the overmold configured to encompass the substrate and fill the one or more perforations or channels of the outermost laminated layer.
Doing so would increase the mechanical or break strength and fastening the layers together.
Re Claim 2, Lowe and Chapet discloses the fraud prevention device of claim 1, and Lowe discloses wherein the outermost laminated layer further includes at least one of a notch and a peg (P51, Figs. 5a, 5b and 5c).
Re Claim 3, Lowe and Chapet discloses the fraud prevention device of claim 1, and Lowe discloses wherein the overmold is attached to the substrate without an adhesive (P41).
Re Claim 4, Lowe and Chapet discloses the fraud prevention device of claim 1, and Lowe discloses wherein the overmold is adhesively attached to the substrate (P55).
Re Claim 5, Lowe and Chapet discloses the fraud prevention device of claim 1, and Lowe discloses wherein the overmold comprises a flexible polymer (P33).
Re Claim 6, Lowe and Chapet discloses the fraud prevention device of claim 1, and Lowe discloses wherein the device comprises a front surface, a back surface, and a perimeter, and wherein the overmold wholly encompass the perimeter of the device, encompasses at least a portion of the front surface, and encompasses at least a portion of the back surface (P49).
Re Claim 7, Lowe and Chapet discloses the fraud prevention device of claim 1, and Lowe discloses further comprising: a chip pocket formed within the substrate; and a chip at least partially positioned with the chip pocket (P44) .
Re Claim 8, Lowe discloses a method of making a card, comprising: providing a substrate comprising a plurality of laminated layers; creating one or more perforations or channels in an outermost laminated layer (P7, P41, P49, P51 areas 305 and 308 in FIGS. 3A-3D represent holes through the cards; Figs. 5a and 5b; Area 307a,b in FIG. 3A and area 307c in FIGS. 3B and 3D represent partially covered holes (pockets) in the card body for the molding material to bind and find purchase).
Lowe fails to disclose wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laminated laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laminated laver; flowing the overmold material over the outermost laminated layer and into the one or more perforations or channels; and solidifying the overmold material.
Chapet discloses wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laver; flowing the overmold material over the outermost layer and into the one or more perforations or channels; and solidifying the overmold material (Column 2, lines 49-53, Column 3, lines 41-56, Column 5,lines 16-45; Column 7, lines 1-12).
Given the teachings of Chapet it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Lowe with wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laminated laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laminated laver; flowing the overmold material over the outermost laminated layer and into the one or more perforations or channels; and solidifying the overmold material.
Doing so would increase the mechanical or break strength and fastening the layers together.
Re Claim 9, Lowe and Chapet discloses the method of claim 8, and Lowe discloses wherein the solidified overmold material encompasses the one or more perforations or channels (P7, P37,P45 P49, P41 ).
Re Claim 10, Lowe and Chapet discloses the method of claim 8, and Lowe discloses wherein flowing the overmold material comprises an injection molding process (P40).
Re Claim 11, Lowe and Chapet discloses the method of claim 8, and Lowe discloses further comprising: forming a chip pocket using one or more layers of substrate; and positioning a chip at least partially within the chip pocket (P44).
Re Claim 12, Lowe and Chapet discloses the method of claim 8, and Lowe discloses wherein solidifying the overmold material at least partially encompasses the substrate (P49).
Re Claim 13, Lowe and Chapet discloses the method of claim 8, and Lowe discloses further comprising adhering the overmold to the substrate(P41).
Re Claim 14, Lowe and Chapet discloses the method of claim 8, and Lowe discloses wherein the overmold comprises a flexible polymer (P33).
Re Claim 15, Lowe discloses a card, comprising: a substrate comprising a plurality of laminated layers wherein an outermost region includes one or more perforations or channels; and the overmold configured to encompass the substrate (P7, P41, P49, P51 areas 305 and 308 in FIGS. 3A-3D Figs. 5a and 5b; Area 307a,b in FIG. 3A and area 307c in FIGS. 3B and 3D represent partially covered holes (pockets) in the card body for the molding material to bind and find purchase.
Lowe fails to disclose wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laminated laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laminated laver; and the overmold configured to encompass the substrate and fill the one or more perforations or channels of the outermost laminated layer.
Chapet discloses wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laver; and the overmold configured to encompass the substrate and fill the one or more perforations or channels of the outermost layer (Column 2, lines 49-53, Column 3, lines 41-56, Column 5,lines 16-45; Column 7, lines 1-12).
Given the teachings of Chapet it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Lowe with wherein the one or more perforations or channels extend through the outermost laminated laver and are filled by an overmold to mechanically interlock the overmold with the outermost laminated laver; and the overmold configured to encompass the substrate and fill the one or more perforations or channels of the outermost laminated layer.
Doing so would increase the mechanical or break strength and fastening the layers together.
Re Claim 16, Lowe and Chapet discloses the card of claim 15, and Lowe discloses further comprising: a front surface; and a back surface, wherein the overmold encompasses at least one of a portion of the front surface or a portion of the back surface (P49).
Re Claim 17, Lowe and Chapet discloses the card of claim 16, and Lowe discloses wherein at least one of the front surface or the back surface includes an exposed portion that is not encompassed by the overmold (P49, also covers at least one entire surface (typically back, but also or instead may be the front) of the card ).
Re Claim 18, Lowe and Chapet discloses the card of claim 17, and Lowe discloses wherein the exposed portion includes at least one selected from the group of account number information, identification information, and a decorative image (P49).
Re Claim 19, Lowe and Chapet discloses the card of claim 15, and Lowe discloses wherein the overmold is at least one of adhesively attached to the substrate or chemically bonded to the substrate (P41).
Re Claim 20, Lowe and Chapet discloses the card of claim 15, and Lowe discloses wherein the overmold comprises a flexible polymer (P33).
Conclusion
The following reference is cited but not relied upon:
Marur disclose a type of seal utilized may vary depending on the type of housing, but in each embodiment, the seal includes a thermoplastic material that is overmolded after the RFID tag has been placed in the housing. The seal material is shaped to either encompass, in whole or in part, the housing or, in select two-piece alternative embodiments, to provide a locking mechanism to help secure the two pieces to one another.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SONJI N JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5266. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-9pm.
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SONJI N. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/SONJI N JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876